Low table unit



Jan. 20, 1959 w u z' 2,869,948

LOW TABLE UNIT Filed May 11, 1956 puzzles .and ysimilar pastimes.

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.2;s69,94s I 'LO TAYBLE uNrr lphonse w; Hunz, Clarwater, iFla. Application May 11,1956, SerialNo. 584,372

' 2 "Claims. (or an- 17 Thisinventionurelatesgtoportable table units and par- -ticularly to combinations including asupport stand and interchangeable itrays and .desk :tops.

:It-is desirable .at times to have-a table or work surface for use :while sitting on a chairorsofa, while reclining in bed, :or ,while ridingtin a l-automobile or the. .like.

Suehna table is desirable .when partaking of food or drinks,

when performing light home tasks such as writing, typing rea'din'g, drawing, needlework, school home work and "study, report writing and for amusement purposes such I as playing cards, games, ,solving crossword and jigsaw are :usefulin sick iroomsfor the sick, the handicapped and the rconvalescent.

. On certain'occassions itfis 'desirable to have a table in. which the work-surface isinthe form of a tray and in a other cases it is desirable to have a work surface in the formof a desk top.

Accordingly. ,?itis an important object of the present invention to provide an improved table unit of the type set forth.

Another object of the invention is to provide a commay be readily removedfrom and applied to the support frame. x -v 1 Still another .object .of the invention is. to provide an improved construction for removably mounting a tray on asupport frame :by which. the tray rnay be more readily and simply-mounted upon and removed from the support frame.

Yet another object of the inventionjis to provide an improved combination of a-support frame with, a desk topinwh'ich thedesk top can-be easily and readily removed from and'-applied-'to'the support frame.

A further object fof-theinvention is to provideian improved" supportjframe having improved tray .and desk top attaching structure forming a part thereof whereby a tray or desk top can' be quickly and readily interchanged on the same support frame. 1

A still further'objectof the invention is to provide an improved'desk top 'whichcan be readily applied to and removed from a support frame of the type set-forth bination of a servingtray and the improved frame of the present invention in' operative position upon an easy chair; I

Figure 2 is a plan view with certain parts broken away of the combination of the support frame and serving tray illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings; i Figure 3 is an enlarged partial view in'vertical section Such combinations also the present invention;

' "ice his substantially as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 33 of Figure ZiIIustrating the structure for mountingtheserving tray upon the support frame;

Figure 4 is a plan view, similarvto Figure 2 illustrating a desktop mounted on the improved support frame of Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view invertical sectionsubstantially as seenin the direction of the arrows along the line v5 5 of Figure 4 illustrating the structure for mounting the improved desk top upon the improved frame; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the cleat used in mounting the desk top on the support frame of Figures 4 and 5.

Referring to the drawings and pa rticularly to Figure 1 thereof there is shown an improved support frame gen- :erally designated by the numeral '10 having mounted thereon a serving tray generally designated-by the numeral 12, the support-frame 10being.made in accordance withand embodying :the'prin ciples of the present invention. Support frame 10has been shown mounted upon an easy chair 14 includingaseat 16 and a back 18. Preferably framell) is formed as-one piece from a continuous piece of hollow metallic. tubing. It has been found that a hollow tubing having an outer diameter of /8 inch is satisfactory in use. The tubing comprising frame 10 is bent toprovide a pair of base portions or members 20 and 22 which are spaced aparta distance such that they bination support frame and trayjunit in which the tray the hips and legsiof the .user can be used 'to, stabilize and anchor support-frame 10 during use.

The free ends of base rnembers- 20 and 22 are bent downwardly to provide portions 24 which are in turn provided with rubber caps-26. The other ends of base members 20 and 22 l 1a ve formed integral therewith curved connecting portions 28 and 30, respectively. Curved portions-28 and 30;:extend upwardly and outwardly with respect to each other-and are formed integral with a pairof support members, :32 and 34, respectively. Support members 32 and 34 extend :forwardly and past the ends of base members 20 and 22 and are interconconected a't the-forward ends :thereofyby a cross bar 36. Preferably support members 32 and 34 are disposed parallel to each other and in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane in which lie base. memhere 20 and 22.

Although the relative dimensions 'of frame "10 may be of any desired values provided the desired shape "is retained, 'it'has been found that the rfollowing dimensions provide a useful frame. The maximum :outside width measured fromfthe outer edges of support members 32 and 34 may be for'exa'mple- 17% inches. The length of support members 32 and 34 may be '14 inches. The distance betweenthe inner's'ides-of-Lbase members 20 and 22' at the pointat'WhichtheyjOin curved portions 28 and 334 may he fore'xarnple 'l t /z inches. The distance between the inn'er "side s of portions 24 may-b'e only 12 inches because of the converging relationship 'of-"base Portions 24 thereby aid in s'teadying frame 10.

In Figures 1, 2 and?'of the drawin'gs frame 10 has.

been shown. supporting the servingtray 12. v Tray 12 includesjar'sjupport"portion '40 from which I extend 'upwardly""at an obtuse 'ian' gle therewith side's -42"-which respect to support member3 structure. The width of tray 12is chosen so that attachment-head 6010f the two studs 48 iitbeneath the beads toward each other,

the form'of a pair of attachment studs generally designated by the numeral 48. Referring to" Figure"3] of the drawings thedetails of construction of a'tt'acl'iment stud 48 will 10 be described. ashank 50 having a reduced end 52 which extendsfl'th'rougha complementarily shaped aperture, in the associated support member 34.

The junction between shank 50 andreduced portion 52 providesa. shoulder 54 which positions shank 50 with :*"The"lower end of reduced portion 52 is peened' overto'form a head 56 which in conjunction with s houlder 5 4 fixedly mounts shank 50 upon'support member 34.

"1 Theupper end of-sjhank sil extends through an aperture 58 in support member 34 is in axial-alignment with the; aperture through WhlCh'CXtElldS reduced portion 52.

Shank 50 extends a short distance abovesupport member "34 and thegend thereof is provided with a flat attachment thead'tSt). Preferab ly attachment head 60 is circular in shape and extends asubstantial distance outwardly from shank 50. The outer periphery of attachment head 60 is adapted'to fit beneathbead 46 on tray 12.

By providing two attachment studs 48 as is illustrated in'Figure 2 of the drawings, it is possible firmly to mount tray 12 upon frame 10'with" no additional clamping =o n -both-sides of tray 12, Frame '10 is sufl'iciently re-' sihent so that support members'32 and 34 can be moved 35 toward each otherwhereby to provide clearance between "attachment-heads 69 and the beads 46. This permits ready removal of tray 12 from frame 10. By pressing support members 32 and 34 toward each other and drop-" ping' tray 12 into place and thereafter releasing support 40 members 32 and 34, tray 12 is easily mounted upon frame 10;} Morespecifically the attachment heads 60 are r'noved outwardly under the resilient action of support, ii'

members 32 and 34 into engagement under beads 46.

- "Instead oftray 12 a desktop generally designated by the-numeral 62 can be' -mounted upon the frame 10 *withiio change in the construction of frame 10. Desk -'top'62 includes asubstantially flat board 64 which may be formed of any suitable material such as wood, plastic,

Masonite or the like. A support ledge 66 is suitably 'se'cured'theretd such as byscrews or other appropriate fasteners. Preferably ledge 66 extends the entire width of board 64 and may :be used :to hold pencils, papers books and the like during use.

.In order to mount desk top 62 upon frame 10 and particularly'the attachment studs '48 thereof, board 64 isprovided with-a pair of cleats generally designated by the numeral 68. 'By referring to Figure 6 of the draw-.;

ings the construction of one. of the cleats 68 will be described in detail. There is; provided an attachment por- 30 tion70 having a pair of spaced apart apertures 72 therein adapted to receive attachment rivets 73 (see Figures 4 and 5 also). Extending downwardly from attachment 7 portion 70 and at an obtuse angletherewith'is a flange 74 which connects with a flange 76. Flange 76 is therefore offset from attachment portion 70 and is positioned to lie in a plane parallel to the plane of attachment portion 70. The edge of-fla'nge 76 opposite flange 74 has a U-shaped notch 78 formed therein .whichhas a size to receive shank 50 of attachment studs 48.

By referring to Figure 4 of thedrawings, it will be seen that the cleats 68 are mounted upon the under side of .board 64 along a line parallel to one of the longitudinal edges of board 64 and with notches78facing inwardly 'lfhe distance between cleats 6 8 is It;

aseasae such that when support ri'i e mb ers 32 and 34 are released the upper ends of shanks 50 beneath attachment heads 60 slide into notches 78.

In order to mount desk top 62 upon frame 10 it is necessary only to press support members 32 and 34 inwardly toward each other and place desk top 62 on top thereof. Upon release of support members 32 and 34,-

are cylindrical in shape and are mounted upon support members 32 and 34, respectively. The purpose of collars 32 and 34 is to provide a support for the edge of desk .top 62 positioned toward thejuserthereby providing four points of support for board; 64. The thickness of collars 8t) and. 82 is substantially'equal to the distance from top ofthe support member (such as support member 24. as viewedin Figure '3) and the top Ofattachment heads 60, A-preferred' material of constructionfor the collars 80 and 8 2 is rubber or some other yieldable material. I

' it will be seen that therehas been provided an imroved support frame and an improved desk top which fulfill all of the objects and a dvantages set forth above. Although certain preferred forms of the invention have been shown for purposes ofillustration, it is to be understood that various changes andmodifications can be made therein-without 'departing fr 'omthe spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, the'invention should be limited only as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A'portable'table unit comprising in combination, a

'resilient tubular U-shapedmember having opposed side members, a pair of leg members integrally joined to the corresponding ends of the opposed sidemembers of said U-shaped frame, said leg members extending downwardly and forwardly in substantially parallel relation to each other and co-operating to provide a support for said framefupright studs secured to the opposed side members of said frame, a rectangular planar top member' positionedco-extensively over said frame and seated thereon, said top member having downwardly extending means thereon adapted to engage the studs-on the side members of said' U-shaped frame, thereby to detachably secure the top member to said frame, the resiliency of saidframe constantly urging the studs on the'side members of said frame into engagement with the downwardly extending means on the top member- 2. A portable table unit comprising in combination a resilient: tubular U-shaped member having opposed side members, a'pair of leg members integrally joined to the corresponding ends of the opposed side'members of said Urshaped frame, said leg members extending downwardly and forwardly in substantially parallel relation to each other and cooperating to provide a support for said frame, upright studs secured to the opposed side members of said'frame and each having an enlarged discalike head,

. a rectangular planar top member positioned co-extensive- .ly over said frame and seated'thereon, said top member 'having downwardly extending means thereon adapted to engage the peripheral edges of said heads and thereby detachably secure said top member in position on the supporting frame. 4

. References Cited in the file of thispatent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,571,661 Richards Feb. 2, 1926 v ,(Otiier references on following Pag UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,445,048 Wallaci July 13, 1948 2,562,628 McPea e July 31, 1951 33322? 51E12?.111111111111111555%; 1351 2,563,922 Collins 14, 1951 1 97 0 1 Lowenberg Oct 9 1934 2,572,526 Schllesslef 1951 2 3 320 Anderson June 4, 1940 5 2,633,899 Armstrong P 7, 1953 2,229,411 Hughes Jan. 11, 1941 2,666,681 S 19, 1954 2 27 30 Hugh Mar 17 1942 2,703,137 Blerman M211. 1, 1955 2 332 19 Walker Oct 26 1943 2,709,120 Tutfle y 24, 1955 

